Yoga vs. Pilates Posted By : Staff Writer Dex

Many people struggle to understand the differences between yoga and Pilates. That could simply be because the differences between the two practices are very subtle. Both yoga and Pilates offer similar physical benefits but take slightly different approaches to reach those improvements.

Comparing Yoga and Pilates:

1. Histories: The origin of yoga is somewhat unclear, but evidence shows that it may have been practiced as early as 3000 B.C. in areas that are now India and Pakistan. Yoga has been developed mainly through the religious practices of Hinduism and Buddhism. Pilates has a much shorter history, being developed by Joseph H. Pilates after he served as a nurse in World War I.

2. Philosophies: Both yoga and Pilates embrace the importance of the mind in controlling the body. There is a difference in that yoga seeks to achieve a balance between body, mind and spirit, coming from its religious roots. Pilates maintains a mind-body approach to improve physical fitness.

3. Poses: Many of the core poses of Pilates and yoga are the same or very similar. And the intent of the poses is the same in Pilates and yoga, which both use the poses to focus the body and mind -- and spirit in yoga -- so they are in union; this, in turn, allows a person to perform the movement or pose in the best possible way. The intent differs from many traditional exercise routines that focus on the completion of an exercise or movement and not on the performance of the movement.

4. Equipment: Yoga requires very little equipment. A yoga mat is the only essential piece of yoga equipment, with yoga blocks and belts being nice additions for beginners. Yoga balls are sometimes used, as well, to help develop better balance. Pilates equipment is much more frequently used. Although several Pilates exercises can be done with only a mat, Pilates machines allow for a much wider variation of poses and movements.
5. Benefits: The poses used in yoga and Pilates improve flexibility, strength and body control. Most practitioners also claim stress relief as a major benefit of both exercises.

By: Staff Writer Dex

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YOGA Applications in Cancer Treatment Posted By : Bendz (M.S.Benz)

A cure for cancer exists through the use of yoga, a San Antonio, Texas, cancer specialist said during a seminar in Oklahoma City in the 1980s.

But physicians refused to acknowledge the cure, said Col. Hansa Raval, M.D., a pathologist with the United States Army. Dr. Raval said her work in cytotechnology _ a diagnostic branch of medicine designed to pinpoint early stages of cancer _ was fruitless until she began researching the use of non-conventional methods of treatment.

The specialist said she witnessed the use of Raja yoga and meditation cure crippling arthritis, headaches and even cancer. And even though Raval offers proof, which she said was collected during two years of study at the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University in India, she has been dismissed by other members of the medical profession as a kook. Yoga's success as a treatment method is due to another hypothesis Raval proposes that 98 percent of all cancer is psychosomatic.

This is not chanting or mantra reciting, the physician said. It's not based on scriptures. It's not a cult. It's not biofeedback. It's deeper than that. This is a full-proof method of meditation, a detailed understanding of what the soul is. Raval maintains that medical schools belittle the study of non-conventional methods of cancer treatment in favor of conventional methods such as radiation, chemotherapy, and treatment through machines.'

Medical schools teach students that the human being is only a body. But the mind has the power to cure the body. By definition, psychosomatic means a combination of mind, or soul and body.

The soul creates the disease, but the body suffers. If the psyche creates the disease, the only way to cure it is through the psyche. It's a very simple formula: treating the seed of the problem.

Further, studies in parapsychology all point to the treatment of illness through treatment of the soul. The World Spiritual University, which has branches in 30 countries, teaches peace and perfection for health and happiness through the use of Raja yoga. The university gained status as a non-governmental member of the United Nations and has offices at the U.N. building in New York.

Raja yoga teaches students to search their soul world for answers on where they came from and why the cancer entered their body. They learn what role religion, stress, family and lifestyle played in the cancer.

By: Bendz (M.S.Benz)

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YOGA FOR FAMILIES:CONNECT WITH YOUR K - Format: [D

Yoga For Families:Connect With Your Kids DVD

Have fun with your kids while getting a really good workout with Yoga Instructors to the Stars Ingrid Von Burg and Tom Morley. With the Yoga for Families DVD,we like to jump,breathe,laugh,dance,sing and have a really good time. Plus,we take time to relax. Yoga provides us with clarity of thought,and allows us to communicate easier. When we do that with our family,it gives us confidence. It also makes us feel that we have the support and guidance of the people that we love the most. We get to play with our families and feel really,really,really good! How fun is that?

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